The present invention relates to a control apparatus for an elevator installation.
Elevator installations are in general actuated by way of a control apparatus which is also termed an indicator board and which contains a control panel. Such control apparatuses are usually present not only at individual floors, but also in the elevator car.
Control apparatuses of that kind are widely dispersed. They are mostly mounted at a wall, particularly at a vertical wall, or integrated in a wall. There are also control apparatuses installed in front of the wall and mounted in columns and accordingly at an angle to the vertical wall. However, control apparatuses can also be connected with the building or the elevator car only by way of cable connections, wherein such forms of embodiment are used almost exclusively for elevator installations for transporting goods. The control apparatuses of passenger elevators are preferably at least partly flush or almost flush with a wall so that they demand less space and are largely protected against damage.
A typical control apparatus of this kind is shown in European patent document 0 706 246-A1. Like other conventional control apparatuses, this control apparatus has a slightly inclined front surface that forms a control panel. The front surface can, however, also be arranged vertically. The front surface faces, depending on the respective position or function of the control apparatus, the waiting area in front of a shaft door of an elevator shaft or the interior of the elevator car. The front surface contains actuating elements such as, for example, buttons or, in a given case, also switches by which the elevator car can be called from a floor or a floor to be traveled to can be selected from the elevator car. Further buttons can be present which serve for, for example, opening and closing the car doors or by which the elevator car can be stopped or an emergency call set in motion or by which special functions can be initiated, for example fan, car light, etc. Indicating elements, particularly illuminated indicating devices, can be included in the front surface. In addition to buttons and indicating devices the control apparatuses have an insert or several inserts in the form of locks or key-operated switch cylinders, wherein each insert has a recess, which opens at the front surface, in form of a keyhole or key slot. There are also toggle switches with a lever, which can be used for functions such as, for example, fan, stopping or car light. The insert is intended for reception of a separate auxiliary actuating element in the form of a key that is introduced by way of the recess substantially perpendicularly to the front surface and is actuated rotationally. The auxiliary actuating element serves, in at least partial mechanical co-operation with the insert, for triggering specific special functions. Operation of the separate auxiliary actuating element generally lies in the hands of maintenance personnel of the elevator installation. In other cases, specially authorized users of the elevator installation use an auxiliary actuating element in order, for example, to travel by the elevator car to a floor which is reserved for them. In certain cases the auxiliary actuating element has to remain plugged in during travel of the elevator car.
A disadvantage of the above-described arrangement is, inter alia, the comparatively large depth or transverse dimension of the control apparatus perpendicularly to the front surface. This large transverse dimension is caused by the construction, arrangement and mode of actuation of the lock-like insert, for which a certain installation depth has to be available in the direction of pushing-in the auxiliary actuating element or key. As a consequence thereof the control apparatus has to be set far into the wall so that this wall has to have a passage. If no such passage is present or possible, then the control apparatus projects into the free space in front of the wall which is not desirable for operating and aesthetic reasons. An end of the key projecting out of the lock or key-operated switch cylinder is frequently broken off by transported goods, which then has the undesired consequence that the elevator installation is blocked.
A control apparatus is shown in the Japanese patent document 06 156889 which has only a small transverse dimension. In this control apparatus the usual actuating elements, such as, for example, buttons, lie at the front surface. As a separate auxiliary actuating element there is used not a mechanically acting key, but a chip card which co-operates with a corresponding insert in the control apparatus. This insert has a slot-shaped recess in which the card can be inserted by a translational movement parallel to the front surface and thus parallel to the wall. The disadvantage of this control apparatus resides in the fact that a chip card is not suitable as an auxiliary actuating element in the same way as a mechanical key. The chip card can be more easily damaged in handling and storage than a metallic key and it requires for its function costly electronic auxiliary equipment. A further disadvantage of the chip card relative to a key resides in the fact that when a key is inserted it is recognizable at the key position in what way it acts or should act, which is not the case with the chip card. A further disadvantage of the chip card solution is that is functions only when the electronic system of the control apparatus is supplied with supply voltage and or other electronic components are ready for use.
It is now an object of the present invention to propose an apparatus of the kind stated above by which the disadvantages of the devices according to the state of the art are avoided. Amongst other things, the control apparatus shall have a small depth or transverse dimension, it shall be secure against vandalism and resetting or function of the inserted auxiliary actuating element should be recognizable from the outside. In addition, the insert shall be conceived in such a manner that the separate auxiliary actuating element can be produced in problem-free manner and can be stored without the risk of damage. Moreover, the insert shall be so constructed that only specific auxiliary actuating elements are usable, so that only a specific circle of persons can use the control apparatus.